Blanchette Bridge closing this fall, lanes rerouted

St. Louis, MO (KSDK) - The Missouri Department of Transportation updated the public on its plans to repair the Blanchette Bridge connecting St. Charles and St. Louis counties.

The westbound lanes of Interstate 70 will be shut down over the bridge this fall so one side can be repaired. Three of the 23 westbound spans use overhead steel trusses that must be removed and replaced. In addition, structural steel must be replaced in the first nine spans of the bridge on the St. Charles County side.

The eastbound Blanchette Bridge will remain open, but three of the five lanes will be turned into westbound lanes for commuters.

The closure is scheduled to last for about a year and will cause major headaches for commuters in St. Charles County. But MoDOT says the 60-year-old bridge over the Missouri River is in serious need of repairs.

According to MoDOT, river crossings are designed to last 100 years, with a major overall needed at about 50 years. The westbound Blanchette Bridge was built in the 1950s.